Hi. My name is John and I am really a fairly quiet, mild mannered guy. But I do have a few strong opinions, and I may try to stir things up just a little with some political and social commentary. My goal is simple: To get you to think about what is good, right, wholesome, wise, helpful, and worthy.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

OK, here is an article which for now will get little comment from me. I will let the strangeness of it sink in for awhile. True story from the Swedish newspaper The Local.

A couple of Swedish parents have stirred up debate in the country by refusing to reveal whether their two-and-a-half-year-old child is a boy or a girl.

Pop’s parents [see footnote], both 24, made a decision when their baby was born to keep Pop’s sex a secret. Aside from a select few – those who have changed the child’s diaper – nobody knows Pop’s gender; if anyone enquires, Pop’s parents simply say they don’t disclose this information.

In an interview with newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in March, the parents were quoted saying their decision was rooted in the feminist philosophy that gender is a social construction.

“We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mould from the outset,” Pop’s mother said. “It's cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.”

The child's parents said so long as they keep Pop’s gender a secret, he or she will be able to avoid preconceived notions of how people should be treated if male or female.

Pop's wardrobe includes everything from dresses to trousers and Pop's hairstyle changes on a regular basis. And Pop usually decides how Pop is going to dress on a given morning.

Although Pop knows that there are physical differences between a boy and a girl, Pop's parents never use personal pronouns when referring to the child – they just say Pop.

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Valuable Book for Children Dealing With Death

The book Sad But OK, My Daddy Died Today has recently been re-published. It is excellent for children from about age 8 and up, or adults who are close to children who are facing the death of a loved one. It is a true story told from a child's perspective sharing the family experience of the last six month's of her father's life. (The author, Barbara Frisbie Juneau, is her mother.)

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About Me

I have split my working years between being a school teacher and a businessman, working mostly in sales. This has meant a great deal of interaction with students, parents, colleagues, and customers. I have pursued photography as a hobby and in teaching, and for the past 25 years I have worked with technology, both in the classroom and in business.